Initial Report Total Responses 13 Please write an explanation for the layout of the page -- or email -- that you are turning in today: Why did you choose the typeface(s) you did? Why did you choose the kind and size of paper you did? Why did you use the margins that you did? Why did you put your name where you did? Why did you break paragraphs where you did and why did you show paragraphs the way you did (that is, if you indented paragraphs or used two returns between them or used a large capital letter in front of each one, why did you make that choice)? Please list and explain every single design decision you made in presenting this work. Note that if you did not use a word-processing document for your Statement of Purpose, which is fine, please do your best to try and apply these questions to your email: What email conventions are at play here? How did you address me? (Why?) How did you format it? What email conventions did you use or break? Text Responses 1. I just used the default type for my explanation because I hadn't even thought about changing them. I didn't choose a type of paper since it was sent through email, but I would've chosen default paper as well if I had printed it because otherwise I'd have to buy a different kind of paper to change it. I also used default margins because I never usually change those on any occasion. I put my name in the left top-hand corner of the page because it's been drilled in my mind since elementary school to put it there. I broke it up into two paragraphs because I moved on to a different subject, and I think it's grammatically correct to split it up once the subject of the passage
shifts. 2. I used Calibri, size 12 font. This is the standard font that is used when I open Microsoft Office on my laptop. The paper I chose is not in fact "paper" because it's in a digital format via a Word document. The margins are set at 1.25 because that, again, is the standard margin size used when I open MSW on my computer. I have my name, the professor's name, the course title and the date in the upper left hand corner because that is how I have always been taught to do it. I did not break paragraphs as the assignment was to answer a few short questions about the nature of our final project in one paragraph. There wasn't a ton of decision making in creating this work because I didn't read very far into the assignment and just gave a brief explanation for what I was planning on doing. 3. I admittedly didn't put any thought into the the font I would be using for the email. I was a bit late in sending the email, so I didn't even think to adjust the font size to something that was more my taste. I didn't choose the kind and size of paper. I sent an email, and the layout of the email was already provided for me. I used the margins that were already established in the email format, because I have been sending emails for over a decade now, and I have never wanted to change the margins in an email. I put my name at the end of my email, as a salutation. My professor should I already know I was emailing him, assuming that he read the sender's address at the top of the email, but I have always felt it is polite to give a proper goodbye in an email, no matter who you are emailing. I only used one paragraph and and then one sentence at the bottom of the email apologizing for sending in late work. If I sent a longer email, I would have divided the paragraphs by topic at hand, and if two ideas didn't seem to mesh together properly, I would start a new paragraph. Like I stated earlier, not much thought was put into the email other than the subject I was writing about. However, I do find it interesting that I can write all of this based on the small email I wrote that I didn't consciously put a lot of thought into.
4. I choose to send my statement of purpose in an email. I followed the normal conventions of how an email is laid out. I just realized I spelled your name wrong. Oops. Sorry! I used the current format of my email that I must have chosen when I created my gmail account. I did not put much thought in the typographic conventions and was more concerned of the contents of my project. I wrote my email in two paragraphs. The first states my project topic and the second describes why the project is of interest to me and some brief thoughts on the direction it may go. I wrote this in two paragraphs because I wanted there two be a distinction between the topic and the explanation. I always put my name a line or two after the salutation of an email. 5. To be completely honest, I threw this paragraph together with all of the basic "academic" conventions in mind (everything from Times New Roman, to 12-point font, to double spacing lines, to 1-inch margins on standard paper). This is a habit of sorts because of almost all of my papers and assignments are required in this format. For a split second, I wondered to myself if you would comment on its format, and now here we are. I know the topic of my final project and have a few vague ideas for texts I will use, but other than that, the project is generally very conceptual, and it's hard to say what direction it will go until I start working on it. This statement felt more like a reminder to you than an "abstract" for me. All of the conventions I selected were simply based on habit. For nearly 10 years it has been drilled in our heads that there is a standard "paper" font, layout and design, and sometimes it is simply easier to follow in that vein rather than asking if something will be different. To be completely honest, I never considered this assignment to be incredibly significant on its own, so I didn't bother giving it that much attention. We had met and discussed my project topic, and I haven't had the opportunity to delve much deeper into my thought process, and I think my paragraph reflects that. Professors almost always ask for some type of paragraph or thesis before students begin their work, so this paragraph also struck me as a nonchalant convention, and although it may not be a good thing, its style and presentation reflect that.
6. I chose 12 pt Times New Roman because... isn't that the font students are supposed to use? Whenever I sit down at my computer to type an academic assignment, the first thing I do is change the font type and size and spacing. This habit is so ingrained in my assignment composition process that failing to do so might affect my productivity and focus. I chose to place my name at the top left corner for the same reason: that is what I have always done when writing in an academic setting. Because I produced this proposal on Microsoft Word, I used the default page type and size. In fact, I'm not sure that I know how - or if - one can change these factors. Similarly, I did not change the margins from the default setting on Word either. I simply kept the standard 1-inch margins. I broke paragraphs after presenting a new component or aspect of my project. My goals in this specific document were to clearly explain the main concepts of and inspiration for my project. Because of this, I chose to utilize bullet points and headings to more-effectively lead Professor through the initial "road map" of my project. Visual breaks like this always help me to more easily digest information. The number one purpose of this document is to accurately describe what I will be doing in my project and implicitly ask for feedback. Thus, easily-digestible information is a necessity. 7. When I put together the proposal I used the margins, typeface, and size of paper that Microsoft word defaults to. I did not think about changing any of them because that is the margins I set to type papers for class. I put my name where I did because I think in college most professors require a MLA format and in the MLA format you put the name on the top left of the paper. These things to me are the norm of writing a paper and I do not really think about them before writing. Since I only wrote one paragraph I did not need to break the paragraph. 8. I have not been able to choose a topic or basis for my project yet, so i sent an email explaining my dilemma - Typeface wasn't really chosen,
i used what was already set in the email, i don't ever change it, it looks fine to me and i never really worry about it when I'm writing an email. -Didn't have a page? its in the email format, the size fits to the length of your email -I just went along with what the email already had set up. i was in too much of a rush to really pay attention to it. -My name will pop up when the email is received so i didn't bother to add it to the message i sent. - I cant really answer this because i have not written anything pertaining to my project yet. 9. I chose Times New Roman, size 12 font because it is my go-to font when submitting assignments or any word doc. I think the font is easy to read and simple. I kept the margins the standard size of word docs because I felt that there was no need to change them since I was only writing two paragraphs. I decided to put my name in the upper lefthand corner because that area of the page is usually the first spot where reader's eyes go. I started a new paragraph when I was trying to explain why creating a project on the press release is important to me. 10. Typeface/Type Size: This was the decision that I was most conscious of making. I originally typed this statement in Google Docs, and when I pasted it into Word it retained Google's large, sans-serif font style. This looked strange to me on a traditional Word document that I new I'd be turning in as an assignment almost too informal or inappropriate. Also, I read once that large chunks of text are easier to read when they're formatted in a serif font. Taking all of this into consideration, I reformatted the typeface to the 12 point, Times New Roman style that I am comfortable seeing on my assignments. Header (Name/Class/Date): The formatting for these elements is a habit that I've retained from my days in AP Lit class. My teacher was very particular about the header formatting on our assignments. It was supposed to be single spaced, left justified, and organized from most the most customized information to most general (i.e. your name is more customized than your class, which is more customized than the date). We were also supposed to format the date according to this style
(day/month/year). Title: I format titles this way because it appeals to me. I don't think any formatting should be used unless it's necessary, so I never bold/underline/italicize titles. I think centering the title any giving it its own line sets it apart from the text enough to make it stand out without seeming too obnoxious or heavy-handed. Line spacing: 1.5 spacing is easiest for me to read, so that's what I default to unless a task specifies otherwise. Margins: I use Word's default margins. I actually couldn't even tell you what they are. Paragraphs: This document doesn't have multiple paragraphs, but the indent at the beginning of the only one on the page is another habit I've retained from high school. In high school, all of our papers had to be double spaced, two returns between paragraphs would have been an ineffective way of indicating the start of a new one. Therefore, paragraphs were required to be indented on the first line without any extra returns between them. Had I written more than one paragraph here, I most likely would have held to that style. Sentence-level conventions (capitalized first letters, formal punctuation, etc.): These are conventions that have been engrained in me since I learned to write complete sentences in first or second grade. They're absolutely my default style when typing in a Word document, because I associate this medium with formal academic assignments. Almost without exception I've been taught that these conventions are the expected/acceptable ones to use when submitting class work. 11. While I would say I attempted to make a statement regarding my choice, my uncertainty of topic is what really changed the format of my statement of purpose. Sent in an email format due to my questioning of the topic, I used the first portion of what I had written separately regarding my idea to use the literature that comes with an album as my source of every day text. This was the beginning of my statement of purpose which I started to rethink. I broke away from just making this type of statement when another idea that I was unsure of popped into my head, creating a conflict of choice which I
attempted to explain. Due to the fact that it was an email, I always break it up by hitting the return key, but google mail never will let you indent, hence it acts almost as just a visual separation. The way in which the text was broken up with the return key is just essentially separating my statements by topic. Obviously it would be a more by the books set up if I was typing it in a word processor, but with my uncertainty of topic it became difficult to make a definitive statement hence the inquisitive word choice. I always assume that any one can figure out who sent an email, but of course I signed the bottom of it because it just seems proper to thank a professor for taking time from their day to communicate with you and thats how its always done. When I say always done, this goes for the font and margins which are usually the same when writing an email. Google in my opinion places the margins for their emails much too wide, which means you have to decide where to hit the return key for the next line and then continue to hit return as you move down the page line by line. While tedious, this always prevents the message from stretching horizontally across the entire screen, which I do not enjoy as a prefer a more linear margin set up. 12. The type face used in my e-mail is the default typeface. The size and margins are also default to the e-mail format. I put my initials, not my name, at the end of the e-mail after "thanks," Breaks were made after addressing "mm," after a two sentence long statement of purpose, and after the salutation "thanks," Writing the e-mail to "mm" reflects that I have taken note to how Professor Moore signs off his e-mails to our class. This sort of breaks the convention of formal tone in a typical student-teacher email. I signed the email with my two initials, playing off of how Professor Moore addresses us. This is not conventional for me but it highlights the informality and of our class and the good rapport I feel we as a class have with him. The conciseness or umbrevity-of my email is quite conventional for me. I typically write in a clear and concise format or in this case, I just communicated my bare bones idea for this project. One of the reasons it was not very long is because I'm not confident in conducting such an intense analysis of one everyday text and might explore making the subject a bit broader.
13. My statement of purpose was in the form of an email. The typeface, size, and margins were pre-determined by the format. In addition, the conventions I used are standard for email communication. The address I used was just "Professor Moore." It was only the name because of the fairly casual nature of the interaction. However, although you sometimes sign your emails with your first name, I still refer to you as Professor Moore, probably because that's just what I feel more comfortable with at this point. I broke paragraphs and left lines in between in order to delineate between difference sections of the email (e.g. the extended greeting, the Statement of Purpose, and the closing). To draw even more attention to the Statement of Purpose itself, I made its heading bold. I also signed the email with just my first name, again due to the casual nature. Statistic Value Total Responses 13